Due to increasing data transmission speeds used in modern electronic devices, there is a demand for electrical cables that can effectively transmit high speed electromagnetic signals (e.g., greater than 1 Gb/s). One type of cable used for these purposes are coaxial cables. Coaxial cables generally include an electrically conductive wire surrounded by an insulator. The wire and insulator are surrounded by a shield, and the wire, insulator, and shield are surrounded by a jacket. Another type of electrical cable is a shielded electrical cable having one or more insulated signal conductors surrounded by a shielding layer formed, for example, by a metal foil.
Both these types of electrical cable may require the use of specifically designed connectors for termination and are often not suitable for the use of mass-termination techniques, e.g., the simultaneous connection of a plurality of conductors to individual contact elements. Although electrical cables have been developed to facilitate these mass-termination techniques, these cables often have limitations in the ability to mass-produce them, in the ability to prepare their termination ends, in their flexibility, and in their electrical performance.